Research in the Netherlands has revealed that under sub-otpimal conditions, the best way for rice breeders to improve the rice harvest is to produce varieties whose performance is not fertiliser dependent. However, specifically modified varieties need to be developed for rice growing under saline conditions.
Gambian researcher Baboucarr Manneh investigated variations in the rice yield and the possibilities for increasing this under a variety of environmental circumstances by means of plant
Two Dutch researchers have developed a method for managing so-called batch productions. During a batch production, substances react in a reactor vessel according to a certain recipe to produce an end product. After the reaction the reactor is emptied and a new reaction with the same recipe is started.
Chemist Eric van Sprang and chemical engineer Henk-Jan Ramaker have developed a control method that also takes the relationship between various process parameters into account. The current met
Researchers in the Netherlands have investigated the molecular structure of plant proteins that must provide alternatives for the animal proteins in our food over the next 10 years. They discovered that proteins with a similar chemical structure behaved differently after heating. The behaviour of the proteins after heating plays an important role in the development of a new type of meat substitute product.
Francesca O’Kane used various proteins from peas and soya for her research. After h
The Granada Basin, home to the Alhambra, is located in one of the most seismically active zones in the Iberian Peninsula. Historical evidence shows that the last major earthquake occurred there in 1431. New evidence indicates, however, that the topographical features of the area surrounding the Alhambra reflect recent and recurrent, though moderate, seismic activity. The research is published this week in Journal of Quaternary Science.
The Alhambra, one of the most visited monuments in Euro
A research team comprising of an ergonomist, autism expert and interactive design and media artists, are using ergonomics to design an interactive, polysensory environment for children with ASD (autistic spectrum disorders) to meet the youngsters’ needs in a way that can be tailorable to specific needs.
Delegates to the Ergonomics Society Annual Conference in Swansea this week (14-16 April) will hear from Andree Woodcock, a member of the project team, on how they plan to use the latest mult
Humans can affect marine life in unexpected ways, as when large numbers of seals succumbed to canine distemper virus in 2000, presumably contracted from domestic dogs. Such human incursions cause even more damage by exacerbating the effects of naturally occurring parasitic and pathogenic diseases. While all indicators point to a real increase in disease in marine organisms, scientists have no baseline data to measure these increases against and so cannot directly test whether marine diseases are gen
Results presented at the Cardiovascular Cell and Gene Therapy Conference II
MacroPore Biosurgery, Inc. (MacroPore; Frankfurt: XMP) (MACP.DE) (XMP:GR) today announced pre-clinical findings that suggest for the first time that adipose-derived regenerative cells have the potential to engraft injured myocardium and express markers consistent with differentiation into cardiac myocytes. These results provide early indication that adipose-derived regenerative cells, which include adult stem
The occurrence of avian influenza in humans is a reminder of the vulnerability of people to an emerging pandemic, Mayo Clinic researchers warn in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Mayo Clinic researchers review the latest outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 strain) that occurred recently among poultry in eight Asian countries. The researchers review current knowledge about avian influenza and how to manage this emerging disease.
ÒAn immediate prio
When it comes to air pollution, what goes on at night can be just as important as what happens during the day, say National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists and their colleagues in a study published 10 April in Geophysical Research Letters. The scientists found that nighttime chemical processes remove nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the atmosphere in the marine boundary layer off the coast of New England. These gases are one of the two basic ingredients for making ozone po
New material could mean easier manufacture of paper-thin TVs and “smart” cloth
Researchers have developed a new plastic that conducts electricity, may be simpler to manufacture than industry counterparts and easily accommodates chemical attachments to create new materials.
Developed by TDA Research in Wheat Ridge, Colo., Oligotron polymers are made of tiny bits of material that possess a conducting center and two, non-conducting end pieces. The end pieces allow the plasti
A study just completed by researchers at the Josephine Ford Cancer Center has resulted in the most comprehensive long-term prostate cancer survival model available to date. An interactive version of the survival model is available online at prostatecalculator.org. Patients and doctors who visit the site can obtain a personalized 10-year survival estimate based on age, race, a few clinical measures, and the kind of treatment being pursued. Once data have been entered, a simple mouse-click provides the
Using technology from Europe’s space programme ski maker Rossignol hopes to beat the world speed skiing record at Les Arcs Pro Mondial in France next week. Using skis stabilised by a mechanism originally developed for ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft, the aim is to reach an astonishing 255 km/h down the slopes.
Skis Rossignol teamed up with ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme to identify innovative technologies which could help beat the records. A world championship title in 2003 showed that they w
Oxford Researchers have developed a new, simple, design of accessory MR surface coil which significantly enhances the quality and clarity of deep organ MRI images.
A new design of magnetic resonance imaging surface coil has been developed in which the location, size and improved homogeneity of the magnetic field within the, so called, “sweet spot” of the field coil have been optimised to enhance both the quality and clarity of MRI images of organs located deep in the human body. The device
Although technologically and economically superior to their proprietary counterparts, GNU/Linux operating systems are very rarely used in audio and multimedia production. AGNULA is out to change this with its easy-to-use “free software” infrastructure.
Free, or “libre software”, gives the users freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change, and improve the software, even sell copies. To qualify as free software it must also be available for commercial use, development, and distribution.
An international team of researchers from the University of Helsinki, GeneOS Ltd. and partner institutions announced today that it has made significant discoveries on the causes of asthma. The team’s study, published in the April 9, 2004 edition of Science, reports two novel asthma genes and a set of diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
The implications of the finding are that physicians may be able to identify atopic asthma and allergy patients earlier than is currently poss
Laparoscopy (‘keyhole surgery’) for colorectal cancer could be the future treatment of choice after results of a study from Hong Kong in this week’s issue of THE LANCET show how it is associated with a similar 5-year survival outcome and more favourable recovery time than conventional surgery.
Colorectal cancer is one of the commonest forms of cancer worldwide. Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer was first introduced a decade ago, although its long-term benefits (5-year survival rate
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